2 Best College Football Playoff Bets and Player Props for Tulane at Mississippi

A pair of regional rivals meet up at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in the CFP First Round as the Mississippi Rebels host the Tulane Green Wave.

Which bets stand out for this game?

Let's dig into FanDuel Sportsbook's college football betting odds and lay out some potential values.

All college football betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Tulane at Ole Miss CFP Betting Picks

Ole Miss Over 167.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

When Ole Miss' offense is on the field, it's going to have a sizable advantage against Tulane's defense. I think the Rebels' ground game is going to overpower Tulane.

Per a blend of college football power ratings, Tulane is the worst team in the CFP field. The weak spot of this Green Wave team is on defense. Tulane ranks 68th defensively, according to SP+. They've given up at least 20 points in seven different games this season, including 45 at Ole Miss on September 20th.

In that previous meeting, Ole Miss mauled the Green Wave for 548 total yards, 241 of which came on the ground. While some things have changed this these teams first met -- particularly on the Ole Miss sideline -- the Rebels are still going to have a significant edge in the trenches.

Ole Miss' offense ranks eighth in the country by SP+, and the Rebs have run for an average of 208.0 rushing yards over their last four games. They've cleared 168 rushing yards in three of those, with the lone exception being a 151-yard rushing day in a 49-0 win over The Citadel where Mississippi called off the dogs in the second half.

A huge plus for this bet is the running ability of Rebels signal-caller Trinidad Chambliss. In the regular-season game against Tulane, Chambliss torched the Green Wave on the ground for 112 rushing yards on 14 carries. With sacks counting as negative rushing yards, it's important to note that Chambliss was sacked only 12 times this year -- once versus Tulane -- and had just one game where he totaled negative rushing yards (The Citadel).

Ole Miss is a 17.5-point favorite over Tulane, so game script should lead to a run-heavy second half from Ole Miss, and with everything on the line, the Rebels will likely keep the pedal to the metal. They should be able to control the line of scrimmage and run over the Green Wave.

Jake Retzlaff Over 31.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

There are a few reasons to believe Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff can clear his rushing prop.

The biggest reason is that Retzlaff's legs are a huge part of Tulane's offense. He's second on the team in carries for the season (118), and he's averaging a whopping 46.9 rushing yards per game. In the first game at Ole Miss, Retzlaff ran eight times for 51 yards. In all, in three games against power-four teams, Retzlaff ran for 113, 111 and 51 yards.

Secondly, in said game at Ole Miss, Retzlaff wasn't sacked at all. While he was a miserable 5 of 17 for 56 yards through the air, he at least had solid protection, giving me hope that he won't take too many sacks -- and incur negative rushing yards -- on Saturday.

Lastly, if Tulane gets behind and needs to throw a lot, that could end up being a positive for Retzlaff's rushing output. If he's dropping back often in the second half, there should be chances for him to turn drop backs into scrambles -- although that'll also mean Ole Miss' defense will have opportunities for sacks.

If Tulane want to have any chance of hanging around and possibly pulling an upset, Retzlaff's legs will need to be a big factor, and they're not afraid to shoulder Retzlaff with a lot of carries, with him running it 15 times last time out in the American Conference Championship Game.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.